Combined intake valve and vaporizer



L. L. LUCE COMBINED INTAKE VALVE AND VAPORIZER May 20, 1930.

Filed Sept 23, 1926 L. L. L0 5.-

INVENTOR.

B Y i Patented May 20, 1930 LOUIS LEONARD LU'CE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA COMBINED INTAKE VALVE AND VAPORIZER Application filed september 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,347.

My invention relates to improvements in An object of my invention is to provide a combined intake valve and vaporizer which is especially adapted for use in internal combustion engines, and which does away with the necessity of providing a carburetor for the engine.

A further object. of my invention is to provide a device of the type described, in which the air employed for scavenging the cylinder is free from gasoline, the device injecting the required amount of gasoline after the scavenging process is completed. In this way a great saving of fuel is accomplished,

A further object of my invention is to provide. a device of the type described in which the valve itself pumps the fuel into the cylinder at the required time.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the inside and outside of the valve is kept cool by the incoming air, the warm valve in turn aiding in vaporizing the gasoline.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which whereby the grinding of the valvesisdone away with.

Other objects and advantages will appear in'the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accomthe valve is of the piston type construction,

to turn a crank shaft (not shown) in the ordinary manner. Exhaust ports 5 are disposed in the cylinder 1 and are adapted to be uncovered when the piston is at vits lowermost stroke.

In the top of the cylinder 1 I dispose a valve cage 6, which is screwed into place and which slidably receives the valve 7 of the piston type construction. The valve 7 is actuated by the ordinary rocker-arm (not shown), this arm being operated by an eccentric which is timed by the crank shaft. When the vave is moved from the position shown in Figure 2, into the position shown in Figure 1, it will draw in fuel from the storage tank (not shown), past the check valve 8.

A certain quantity ofair is drawn through the'pipe 9 past a check valve 10, and this air togetherwith the fuel is mixed partially, and is received in the upper part of the cage. 6.

.Upon the up stroke of the valve 7, the fuel will be forced through the pipe 11, through the spray nozzle 12, into the annular recess 13, andthence through the openings 14 in the valve and through the openings 15 in the cage 6. The gasoline sprayed from the nozzle 12 mixes with the incoming air in the passageway 3 and this combustible mixture is forced through the openings 14 and 15, while the valve 7 is moving upwardly just as the exhaust ports are being closed, the mixture in its movement being warmed by the warm metal part of the valve 7 and the cage 6. WVhen the valve 7, however, is in its upper most position as shown at Figure 2, the open- 35 ings 14 and 15 are cut off from communication with the air passage 3 and'the nozzle 12.

From the foregoing description of the various'parts of the device, the operation thereof may bereadily understood. Assume that the piston 4 is in theposition shown in Figure 2, and that the spark plug 16 has ignited the gases in the cylinder 1. The piston 4 will be driven downwardly and as soon as the exhaust ports 5 are uncovered, the exhaust gases will fiow through the ports 5 and then out to the exhaust openings 17. During. this movement the valve 7 has remained in its uppermost position, but after the piston 1 uncovers the exhaust ports 5, the valve'7 is moved into the position shown in Figure 1. This permits air to fiow through the air passageway 3, the groove 13, the openings 14, and the openings 15, and then into the cylinder 1. I prefer to have this air under five pounds of pressure, and it will therefore be observed that this air will scavenge the cylinder of the exhaust gases. The valve 7 on moving down into the position shown in Figure 1, draws in a quantity of gasoline for the next charge. The air flowing into cylinder 1 not only scavenges the same, but cools the valve and the cage.

It will be noted that after the cylinder is scavenged of its exhaust gases, there will be a supply of fresh air within the cylinder. The piston a now starts back upon ts up stroke, and the valve 7 also starts moving upwardly. This causes the mixture of gasoline and air within the cage 6 to be forced through the pipe 11 and into the cylinder 1 as h fet' re ser bed- Wh n h p es reaches its uppermost position, the gasoline within the cage 6 will already have been forced into the cylinder 1, and will have bficn vaporized to form a combustible mixture which is under the desired pressure. The spark 16 now ignites the gas and the cycle is repeated.

I prefer to have the gasoline feed pipe provided with a valve which is controlled by the throttle lever of the automobile. Although I have described the operation of the device with a two cycle engine, the device is also adapted to be applied to a four cycle Engine if desired. The valve 7 accomplishes a number of functions. In the first place it acts as a piston to suck in the fuel into the cage 6 and to force the fuel out from the cage 6 and into the cylinder. The forcing of the fuel out ofthe cage tends to cushion the upward stroke of the valve. The valve alsoopens the scavenger air ports. It will further be noted that the valve allows the fuel supply port to be opened at the desired time. The valve forces in a mixture of air and gas which becomes thoroughly mixed and vaporized before being forced into the cylinder. The valve is constructed so as to be cooled on the inner surfacethereof, and also on the outer surface. The cooling of the valve also vaporizes the gasoline.

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston therein, of a piston valve assembly mounted in said cylinder, an air conduit connected to the piston valve, said piston valve being so reciprocated as to connect the air conduit to the cylinder for scavenging the same when the piston is at the end of a stroke; and means operatively connected to the piston valve for spraying fuel, compressed by the piston valve, into. the cylinder during another stroke of the engine piston.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston disposed therein, of a piston valve mounted in said cylinder, an air conduit connected to the piston valve, said piston valve being so reciprocated as to connect the air conduit to the engine cylinder when said piston is at the bottom of its stroke; and means connected to said piston valve so as to spray fuel, compressed by the piston valve, into the cylinder said piston is performing its upward stroke.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston disposed therein, of a piston valve mounted the upper end of said cylinder, said piston valve comprising in combination a cylinder having a piston mounted therein, said piston valve cylinder having an open end discharging into said first mentioned cylinder, said piston valve piston being so reciprocated as to connect an air passage to the cylinder when said first mentioned piston is at the end of a stroke, and means connected to said piston valve cylinder for spraying fuel compressed by the piston valve, thru apertures in said piston valve cylinder and into said engine cylinder during another stroke of the first mentioned piston.

' 4;. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston disposed therein, of a piston Valve assembly mounted in the upper end, of said cylinder, said assembly comprising a piston valve cylinder and a piston valve piston, there being an annular groove in said piston valve piston, there being apertures thru said piston valve piston communicating with said groove and with the interior of the engine cylinder, there being apertures thru the walls of said piston valve cylinder, said piston valve piston being so reciprocated as to connect an air passage to said groove and to the apertures in said piston valve piston when said engine piston is at the end of a stroke, and means connected to said piston valve cylinder for spraying fuel, compressed by the piston valve, around said groove and thru the apertures in said piston valve cylinder during another stroke of said engine piston.

The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston, of, a piston valve asemblyremovably mounted in the top of said cylinder, said piston valve assembly comprising a piston valve cylinder a piston valve piston, there being an annular groove in said piston valve piston and apertures extending thru said PIS? ton valve piston connecting said groove with the interior of said engine cylinder, there being apertures thru said piston valve cylinder wall, means connecting said piston valve cylinder with a fuel supply tank, there being a fuel line and an air line communicating with the interior of said piston valve piston, an annular groove in said piston valve piston, there being apertures extending thru said piston valve piston connecting said groove with the interior of said engine cylinder, there being apertures in the wall of said piston valve cylinder, an air passageway and a fuel passageway communicating with the interlor of said piston valve cylinder thru the wall thereof, means con necting a fuel supply tank with the interior of said piston valve cylinder, said piston valve being so reciprocated as to connect the air passageway with the cylinder when the piston is at the end of a stroke, and to force vaporized fuel into the cylinder during another stroke of said piston.

7 The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston therein, of a piston valve assembly mounted in said cylinder; there being apertures on said piston valve assembly, said piston valve being so reciprocated as to connect said cylinder thru said apertures to a scavenging air conduit at the end of a strokeof the engine piston; and to compress fuel, and to spray the same thru said apertures into the engine cylinder during another stroke of the engine piston.

8. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a piston and a cylinder, of a piston valve mounted in the upper end of said cylinder, said piston valve comprising a piston valve cylinder and a piston valve piston, an annular groove in said pis-' ton valve piston, there being apertures extending thru said piston valve piston connecting said grooves with the interior of said engine cylinder, there being apertures in the wall of said piston valve cylinder, an air passageway and a fuel passageway communieating with the interior of said piston valve cylinder thru the wall thereof, means connecting a fuel supply tank with the interior of said piston valve cylinder; said piston valve being so reciprocated as to connect the air passageway with said cylinder when the piston valve is at the bottom of its stroke and to force vaporized fuel into the cylinder during the compression stroke of said piston;

. der, and a valve piston reciprocable in said valve cylinder; said valve cylinder having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet opening at an end thereof, and an air inlet opening thereon; said valve piston being apertured and so reciprocated as to connect the air inlet opening to the engine cylinder at the end of a stroke of said engine piston, and to spray fuel thru said fuel outlet opening to the engine cylinder during another stroke of the engine piston.

10. 'The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston therein, of a valve assembly comprising a valve cylinder mounted on the engine cylinder, and a valve piston reciprocable in said valve cylinder; said valve cylinder having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet opening at an end thereof, and an air inlet opening thereon; a spray nozzle disposed in operative relation to the air inlet opening and being connected to the fuel outlet opening; said valve piston being apertured and so reciprocated as to" connect the air inlet opening to the engine cylinder at one stroke of the engine piston, and to force fuel. thru said spray nozzle into the engine cylinder during another stroke of the engine piston.

In testimon whereof I alfix my signature.

lllOUIS LEONARD LUCE. 

